A member of the Presidential Forum, Jerzy Małachowski, accused councillor Dariusz Mucha of defamation. (It concerned the councillor’s post on the Bolec forum.) The first hearing in the case took place on Friday, 5 January. D. Mucha:
Mr Małachowski took out a sheet of paper containing his demands and expectations. After reading them, I said that I did not agree with the content of the demands and expectations and that I had never in my life defamed or acted against Mr Małachowski, nor had I created situations in which I would insult him. Therefore, if Mr Małachowski wishes, I will defend myself in court.
I suggested to the judge that the only circumstance that could change my attitude to the case would be the recognition that well-mannered people can always be polite, even when they do not feel like it. And I said: I do not feel like apologising to Mr Jerzy Małachowski for a post with specific content; nevertheless, if he felt hurt as a person, I am able to say “I’m sorry” and shake his hand.
After negotiations, the matter was settled. “I apologised to Mr Małachowski as a person who may have felt hurt by specific content, but not for the content of the comment I wrote,” councillor D. Mucha emphasises. “I said in court that I would provide every editor who calls me with information about this settlement in precisely that form.”
Both men signed a settlement, and the case was discontinued. Councillor Mucha adds:
The essence of my conduct is respect for voters and the courts, expressed by not dealing with pointless matters and by not wasting taxpayers’ money pointlessly. Mr Jerzy Małachowski and I agreed that politicians should be able to reach agreements with one another.
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